Foldable cabinet



ug l 1939,-

E. ZIMMERN. NE BARucH 2,167,861

' FOLDABLE CABINET Filed April 4, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EMV z/MMERN BY nee @ARL/CH PATENT AGENT Aug. l, 1939. E. ZIMMERN, NE BARucl-l I 2,157,861

FOLDABLE CABINET Filed April 4, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EMV Z /MME EN BY nee BHRUCH PATNT AGENT Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to collapsible tents or cabinets.

It is an object f the present invention to provide a tent or cabinet which is collapsible and foldable into a hand bag or carrier.

' It is another object of the invention to provide economical, efficient and practical means for sustaining the walls of such device and supporting the latter in open or operable position.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide such sustaining means in collapsible and/or foldable form so that the same may be contained within said hand bag.

It is yet another object of the present invention to so construct said tent that reinforcing end pieces of the roof portion thereof are utilized 'as handles for carrying the tent in its folded and collapsible form.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide at least some of the walls with ballast means to stabilize said .tent during substantial weather conditions.

It is further contemplated by this invention to provide said tent with .a removable side which may be utilized when desired as a covering upon which the occupant of the tent may recline or rest.

The invention further provides the tent being converted into a shield reduced inl `height and having an open side wall, the remaining portions of the walls of said tent engaging the ground upon which the tent is placed.

'I'he foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will become more clearly apparent from the following description, which is descriptive of a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiment herein shown and described being for purposes of illustration only, it is to be understood that such modifications may be made, when desired, within the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which show one of the various possible embodiments of the invention and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective View of a cabinet made in accordance with the invention, said cabinet 50 being in erected and operative position, a wall of said cabinet being partially disengaged from the remaining portions thereof;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the cabinet, some parts being shown in section;

Fig. 3 .is a fragmentary top view ,of the supporting means employed for sustaining the cabinet in its operative position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the upper portion of the rear wall of said cabinet;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cabinet, the section being taken substantially along the center thereof;

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional View of a fragment of said cabinet, illustrating the location of the ballast means;

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the cabinet in folded and inoperative position forming a hand bag for carrying purposes.

Referring now particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows the cabinet or tent in an erected position I0 and comprising a removable front wall Il, side walls I2 and I3, rear Wall I4 and top wall I5. These walls `may be made of any suitable weather proofed and flexible material, such as canvas or similar fabric. At opposite ends I5, Il of said top wall I5, there are provided bars or rods I 8, I9 respectively, which bars are inserted in respective spaced apart pockets 2i), 2| .and 22, 23 of said side walls I2 and I3, which pockets leave the respective middle portions of said bars I8, I9 uncovered. At the respective center 24, 25 of said uncovered bar portions there are preferably mounted rings or like members 25, 2l for re `movably engaging hooks 23, 29 of supporting means, generally indicated by numeral 33.

Side walls l2 andI3 are sewed to rear wall I4 along its side edges, whereas the top wall I5 preferably made of a fabric and having a contras'ting color with respect to the remaining walls is fixed to the respective upper edges of said side walls I2, I3 and rear wall I4 by means of seams and stitches. Depending from and sewed to said top wall along its free front edge 3| is a valance 32 which is also preferably fixed to the pockets 20, 22.

The cabinet I0` is provided with a removable front wall Il, which is preferably attachable at its upper iend to the juncture of valance 32 and top wall or roof I5 by complementary fastening means, such as snap fasteners 33, 34; like means being provided at the side edges of side walls I2, I3 and front wall II. The valance 32 conceals the upper fastening means 33, 34.

Preferably the side walls I2, I3 have pockets 35, 35 which contain ballast 3l to prevent the erected cabinet Ill from swaying or collapsing under windy conditions.

To support the cabinet I in upright condition, there is provided .a standard comprised of a pluralitypf removable sections, the drawings showing four such sections 33, 39, 40, 4I. Adjacent sections are joined together by sleeves or cups 42, the latter being preferably secured to the ends of each section but the last one, so that the said sections may be easily pulled apart.

The section 38 is provided with a tapered or pointed end 43 for facilitating thrusting of the standard comprisingY the aforesaid sections into the ground to sustain the latter in upright position, in which case, the sections 38, 39, 40 and 4I are in interconnecting tandem relation. The section 4I has a recess 44 and a perforation 45 below said recess for receiving and supporting the bracket or bar 46 at substantially a right angle to the standard; for this purpose, the bracket 46 has one of its end portions bent in the shape of a U 41 permitting the free bent end 48 of the portion 41 to be received in the perforation k45, another part of the end portion 41 resting in the slot 44. The other end of rod or arm 46 is pivotally connected to a member 49 and also pivotally connected to the member 49 are the aligned arms or rods 50 or 5I disposed at a right angle to the arm 46. Thus, the member 49 permits the arms 46, 50 and 5I being collapsed or folded after these arms have been removed from their respective end connections.

It is to be noted that the pivots of the arms 46, 50 and 5I are arranged to the member 49 such that the said arms may be folded or co1- lapsed together in an upright position. A hook 52 may be secured to the standard section 4I for the purpose of supporting 'clothing and the like when the cabinet I0 is in operable position. The rear wall I4 is provided with a slot 54 through which the hook passes.

Figure 1 shows the cabinet in an operable position. The removable front wall I I is attached to the cabinet proper through the fastening means 33, 34 and 33', 34'. The rear Wall I4 is secured to the upright standard by means of tie ribbons 55.

The occupant may utilize wall I I when robing, disrobing, etc., or the occupant may remove the wall I I from the cabinet to utilize the same as a covering for the ground and upon which he may rest or decline.

. By removing one or both of the standard sections 39, 40, the cabinet may be converted into a tent or shield reduced in height and having an open side wall, the remaining portions of the walls of the cabinet engaging the ground upon which the tent is placed.

The cabinet is easily disassembled by withdrawing the tapered portion 43 of the standard from the ground, disconnecting the sections 38, 39 and 40 from each other, the supporting means 30 fgom portion 4I and the arms 50, 5I from the eyes 2 26.

The arms 46, 50 and 5I of the supporting means are then collapsed in an upright position. The cabinet in its collapsed position may then 'be formed into the carrying bag 56, shown in Figure '1, the rods I8, I9 forming reinforcing edges and handgripping means therefor. Within this formed bag 56 the standard sections 38, 39, 40 and 4I together with the supporting means 30 in its collapsed condition are inserted as is also the front wall II.

The roof or top I5 of the cabinet becomes the body or covering of the bag 56, and the same may be of dissimilar or similar material or color as the side and rear walls of the cabinet. lIjhe ballast 31 is removed from pockets 35, 36 before the cabinet is formed into the bag,.56.

From the foregoing it may be seen a desired device has been provided for the purpose intended. It is also evident that changes may be made to accomplish the indicated results all Within the spirit and scope of the invention. Hence, the prior art rather than the present specific disclosure should form the basis of interpretation of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l. A portable foldable cabinet adapted to be suspended from a support comprising a fabric body having top, side and rear Walls and an open front wall, a removable fabric covering for said front wall, and reinforcing members extending along the top edges of said side walls, said members being adapted for engagement with said support when said cabinet is in unfolded condition, said reinforcing members forming longitudinal gripping means for carrying said cabinet when in folded condition.

2. A portable foldable cabinet adapted to be suspended from a support comprising a fabric body having top, side and rear walls and an open front wall, a removable fabric covering for said front Wall, and a pair of longitudinal reinforcing members, said members being located respectively at two opposite top ends of said body and adapted for detachably engaging said support when said cabinet is in unfolded condition, said top wall forming the body portion of a handbag and said reinforcing members forming longitudinal gripping means for carrying said body portion when said cabinet is in folded condition.

3. A portable foldable cabinet adapted to be suspended from a support comprising a rectangular fabric body having top, side and rear walls and an open front wall, a removable fabric covering for said front wall, and spaced apart reinforcing members at two opposite edges of said top wall, each of said edges being provided with spaced apart pockets for insertion of one respective reinforcing member with its ends therein, said reinforcing members being adapted for engagement with said support to suspend said cabinet therefrom when in unfolded condition, said top Wall forming the body portion of a hand-- bag Whilst said reinforcing members form the gripping means for carrying said body portion when said cabinet is in folded condition.

4. A portable foldable cabinet adapted to be suspended from a support comprising a rectangular fabric body having top, side and rear walls and an open front Wall, a removable fabric covering for said front wall, spaced apart reinforcing members at two opposite edges of the top Wall,each of said edges being provided with spaced apart pockets for insertion of one respective reinforcing member with its end portions therein and leaving uncovered the intermediate portion thereof, and means positioned on said uncovered intermediate portions for detachably engaging;

said support when said cabinet is in unfolded condition, said top Wall forming the body portion of a handbag and said reinforcing members forming the longitudinal gripping means thereof for carrying said cabinet in folded condition.

EMY ZlMMERN, NE BARUCH. 

